Storm sash



2 sheet s 1 Filed Match 15, 1943 Aug 7, 1945. o. H. LIND 2,381,129

STORM SASH Filed March 15, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 6 i 0 1/ I I zti mPatented Aug. 7, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STORM SASH Otto H.Lind, Cincinnati, Ohio Application March 15, 1943, Serial No. 479,191

6 Claims.

This invention relates to storm sashes adapted to be placed over windowopenings for the purpose of preventing loss of heat from the buildingand the infiltration of cold air.

The usual storm sash is in effect a second window installed in thecasing adjacent the regular window, fitted carefully and arranged to beremoved during spring, summer and fall months when it is not needed. Aso-called dead air space established between the storm sash and windowproper provides insulating qualities against the loss of heat byconduction through the window glass but, unless the sash is fittedcarefully or sealed around its edges, then cold air is free to circulatethrough the dead air space and its insulating value is impaired.

The fitting of the sash is dependent largely up on the care and skill ofthe carpenter who does -the job. It is conventional, at present, for ahouseholder who wishes to purchase storm sashes for his home, to havethe millwork company measure the window openings, builds sashesaccordingly but somewhat oversized, to allow for fitting, and then havea carpenter trim each individual storm sash on the jab. The procedureobviously is an expensive one, and the fact is that the cost of fittingis substantially or equally as great as the cost of the sashes suppliedby the millwork company. For this reason not many homes can benefit fromthe lowered fuel consumption and greater comforts which the units arecapable of providing.

The window proper in a home or building usually are fitted carefullyandthe main heat loss through them usually is by conduction through theglass. To utilize the benefits of this snugness the present invention isbased primarily up on the concept of installing storm sashes at theinside of the room instead of at the outside of the building. The windowin its grooves or hangings therefor provides primary protection againstair infiltration and the storm sash, on the other hand, located adjacentthe window, provides with it a truly dead air space through which heatloss is minimized.

The present invention, however, further is based upon the concept ofemploying storm sashes at the inside of a room which in their over-alldimensions are sufliciently large to overlap the window frame area andforma seal with the casing at the overlapping portions using felt,rubber or other suitable gaskets, as the case may be, intermediatetheoverlapped portions of the storm sash and casing to exclude air passage.Inasmuch as windows are of relatively standard sizes this constructionenables storm sash to be made by the millwork company on a productionbasis and avoids the careful fitting which the carpenter has heretoforebeen required to perform. The extent to which the storm sash overlapsthe frame is not precisely critical because the seal is formed not atthe edge of the sash as heretofore but at the meeting faces of the sashand casing.

In order to enable the sash to be installed or removed at will withoutthe use of tools or special fittings the present invention furthercontemplates provision of clamp members on the sash which extendlaterally from the face thereof for engagement with the face or faces ofthe window frame, that is, the faces which extend laterally to the wallof the room. These clamps are adjustable and, moved outwardly, engagethe faces of the frame to hold it in position. Through this arrangementa storm window of a given size may be installed successfully overwindows which differ in size from one another as much as two or moreinches in either direction depending upon the range of adjustability ofthe clamping members. The millwork manufacturer, therefore, need notproduce units tailor made" for individual windows, but may produce alimited number of standard sizes, any one of which may be usedsatisfactorily in conjunction with windows within its size range.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the clamp devices aresimple units fastened to the sash in such manner that the clamp memberextends beyond the face thereof to engage the window frame, with a screwor bolt head accessible from the exterior of the sash for adjusting theclamp to hold the sash in place. These clamps may be provided at bothsides of the storm sash, or a stationary rail may be provided at oneside for buttressing the sash against movement when it is clamped inplace through clamping units positioned at the other side. In thealternative, the storm sash may rest conveniently upon the sill at itsbottom edge and clamp units may be omitted entirely at the sides of thesash and located at the marginal portion adjacent the top edge.

When the sash is demounted from the window, it is removed in itsentirety and there is then no hardware visible or other evidences of theinstallation of a supplemental unit on the window proper.

From the foregoing principles of the present invention and from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment of it thoseskilled in the art readily will comprehend the variations andmodifications to which it is susceptible. I

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a window equipped with a storm sash of thepresent invention looking at the window from the inside of the room.

Figure 2 is-a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing a preferred form ofa clamp unit of the present invention and its engagement with a windowframe. This view is taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation showing a clamp unit attached to the surface ofthe storm sash frame which faces the window.

Figure 5 is.a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view looking .at storm sash.

the edge or the As shown in the drawings, the sash of the presentinvention is indicated generally at l and comprisesa marginal frame 2(divided by muntins 3,

if desirable) for carrying lights or panes 4. This sash is used inconjunction with a window opening having a sash proper 5 which may be ofthe double hung casement, or hinged variety. The sash 5 is carried in'aframe 6 which, at the inside of the room, is finished off with casingmembers 1 and a sill. The frame 6 provides surfaces 8 (Figure 3) at thetop and at both sides, which extend laterally to the wall of the room.The sashes of the present invention, as just described, employ clampsfor engaging one or all of these faces 8 to hold the sashes in place.

The preferred clamp units of the present invention, as shown best inFigures 3 to 6, are indicated generally at 9 and consist essentially ofa base plate It), a clamp l I, and an adjusting screw l2; The base plateID has a central opening l3 in it and brackets I4 and i5 extendlaterally from the base plate at the respective endwise portions of theopening. Thebrackets i4 and 15 have bores-in them which are in alignmentwith one another and the adjusting screw l2 passes freely through thebore in the bracket l4, while an endwise portion of the adjusting screwis counter-turned and journalled in the bracket IS, with the portion ofthe screw extending beyond the bracket l5 headed as at IE to prevent thescrew from moving axially when it is retated, s

For purposes of economy the brackets i4 and I 5 arebent from the baseplate In by severing the-base plate along the lines I! constituting theside edges of 'the central opening and alsoalong a dividing lineintermediate the endwise portions of the opening. The portionsdelineated by these sever line are then bent to extend'laterally fromthe base plate, thereby leaving the central opening l3 at the area theyformerly occupied.

The clamp member II is a plate-like member having a shank portion l8which passes through the base plate intermediate the sidewise edges I1of'its central opening. The shank has a threaded bore in it which isin-.engagement with the adjusting screw l2. The clamp extends laterallyfrom the base plate at the other side and terminates in a clamping facel9 which prefer.-

ably is parallel to but slightly offset from the plate or clamp leaf inorder to provide good purchase of the clamp with the window casing '8.This face if desired may be surrounded .by a

' central opening or the shank l8, and runners 20-20 are bent laterallyfrom it to ride along the face of the base plate and thereby prevent theclamp from tilting or canting when the face IQ of it is pressed againstthe casing.

The marginal portion of the storm sash which overlaps the window casingI at the inside of the room may, if desirable, for sealing purposes, beprovided with a gasket 2| of felt or other suitable material.

As previously explained the amount of overlap mayvary but, inwardly fromthe casing edge or framing surface 8, the sash has a mortise opening 22cut into it which is sufficiently large to receive the brackets l4 andI5 yet sufliciently small to be covered by the baseplate iii. A hole 23is cut from the edge of the storm sash into the mortise opening to giveaccess to the adjusting screw I 2. Base plate III has holes at itscorners and screws 24 pass through these holes and into the wood of theframe to fasten the clamp unit in place.

As previouslyexplained, these clamp units may be provided at themargnial portions of the sash, for instance, one at each top and bottomcorner, or they may, if desirable, be provided only along the topmarginal portion to exert a clamping action against the top casingmember when the bottom of the sash is supported by the sill.

' Storm sashes of the present invention may be produced readily andeconomically; to install them the householder simply takes a screwdriver or socket wrench, depending upon the heading of the adjustingscrew l2, and adjusts the position of the clamp leaves -l| until theyare spaced substantially equidistantly from the edges of the sash andinwardly enough to permit the leaves to enter the casing 8. Then thesash is placed over the window area. resting on the sill, and while itis held against the frame the clamp screws at one or both side areadjusted to bring the faces I9 of the clamps against the frame faces 8.

I desire to be limited only by the claims which follow.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination of a storm sash having a marginal frame and a panetherein and a clamp device attached to the sash at the marginal framethereof, said clamp device including a clamping member extendinglaterally from one face of the sash and spaced inwardly from themarginal edge thereof, and a screw which is accessible from anothersurface of said sash for moving said clamping member.

2. A storm sash unit comprising a storm sash having a marginal frame anda window pane therein and clamping means positioned at the oppositesides of said frame, said clamping means comprising clamping membersextending laterally from the sash frame for respective clampingengagement with opposite sidewise portions of a window frame, and screwsextending into said frame and through said clamping members for movingsaid clamping members toward and away from the marginal edges of saidstorm sash.

3. A storm sash comprising a marginal frame having a window e therein, aclamping device carried by said marginal frame adjacent an edge thereofand including a clamping member extending laterally from said frame forengagement with a member of awindow frame when the. bottom of said stormsash is supported from a point adjacent the window sill, and means foroperating said clamping member to move it into clamping engagement withsaid window frame comprising a screw extending into said sash from anedge thereof and into threaded engagement with said clamping member.

4. A storm sash comprising a marginal frame having a window panetherein, clampin members arranged respectively adjacent the oppositesidewise edges of said frame and spaced inwardly therefrom, saidclamping units including clamping members which may be moved toward oneanother to fit within a Window frame while the marginal portion of thesash overlaps said frame, and means for moving said clamping membersaway from one another to bring them into clamping engagement with saidwindow frame to hold said storm sash on said frame comprisingscrewsextending into said sash from the opposite sidewise edges of said frameand into respective threaded engagement with said clamping members.

5. A storm sash unit comprising a marginal frame having a window panetherein, a gasket extending marginally along at least the sidewise edgesof said frame, clamping means carried by said marginal frame adjacentopposite edges thereof, said clamping means includin clamping membersextending laterally from a face of said frame beyond the surface of saidgasket, said clamping means being movable toward one another to fitwithin the opening of a Window frame with the sash overlapping thewindow frame and the gasket thereon abuttin the Window casing and havingtail pieces which extend into said sash, and means for moving saidclamping members away from one another and into engagement with saidwindow frame to hold the sash in place upon it comprising screw membersextending into said sash from opposite sidewise edges thereof and intothreaded engagement with the tail pieces of said clamping members.

6. A storm sash unit adapted to fit over the interior trim of a window,said unit comprising a marginal frame and a window pane therein and pingmeans located along at least one vertical portion of said marginalframe, said clamping means including a clamping member extending atsubstantially a right angle from one face of said vertical portion andmeans to move said clamping member in a direction substantially parallelto the plane of said face, whereby said storm sash is held in secureengagement with said trim without damage thereto.

OTTO H. LIND.

